An additional plane of Ukrainian refugees arrived in Regina last week with another 200 new Saskatchewan residents on board. The city of Regina has housing and supports available for the arrivals, but the goal is to have families establish residence in communities throughout the province. 

To that end, the Government of Saskatchewan announced it will allow all temporary residents arriving under Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) with a valid work permit to be eligible for Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant (CSJG) and Re-Skill Saskatchewan Training Subsidy (RSTS) funded training.

"Saskatchewan is committed to welcoming an unlimited number of displaced Ukrainians and ensuring they gain the language, skills and connections to successfully integrate into our communities and workforce," Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said. "Now more than ever, with Saskatchewan having some of the highest job growth in the country, we need workers and employer-driven training programs such as these to ensure provincial employers have a skilled workforce with the competencies required to keep building a strong Saskatchewan."

The Federal Government created an accelerated mechanism for temporary residence that would allow Ukrainians fleeing their country to establish a residence in Canada last March. The provincial decision allows those new arrivals and their immediate family members of any nationality to apply for a Canadian visitor visa, granting them temporary residency for up to three years. In addition, individuals can also apply for an open work permit that allows them to work in Canada. These changes are accessible for those arriving from overseas or Ukrainians already residing in Canada. The program is not considered part of a refugee immigration stream.

Ukrainian workers will be welcomed by employers in the province challenged by vacancies that are difficult to fill due to personnel shortages. The hope is the training programs will allow Ukrainian arrivals to fill those empty positions. 

More than 1,500 displaced Ukrainians have arrived in Saskatchewan since the conflict began, including those who arrived on the two humanitarian flights with Solidaire and Open Arms. The Government says its committed to continue working on avenues to support those people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.